Research is being conducted on Plaxx, a fuel made from mixed plastic waste. Proponents of the potential fuel source say it could replace crude fuels for industrial and marine engines.
The research on Plaxx is being funded by Innovate UK and ESPRC. The two parties will work in partnership with the British firm Recycling Technologies, which is the developer of Plaxx The project is also supported by Swindon, U.K., Borough Council, Crapper and Sons Landfill Ltd, and an international marine insurer.
The research will determine if Plaxx, which is made from residual mixed plastic waste, can be used efficiently in diesel engines without increasing engine wear.
The research also is expected to be of interest to waste treatment companies, packaging manufacturers and waste handling authorities. Supporters of Plaxx say its long-term application will help create a useable resource from waste which can otherwise not be efficiently recycled.
Plaxx consists of a mixture of hydrocarbon monomers similar to crude oil. However, it is low in sulphur and other organic/inorganic contaminants. Currently, it is a soft wax at room temperature, but a low viscosity liquid at 70°C. Plaxx can be further refined and could be used as an input to plastics manufacturing.
The research will develop the use of Plaxx by testing engine performance, exhaust emissions and engine wear on different engines over a broad range of test conditions. The research will also develop software tools that will monitor the three aspects to enable engine users to achieve optimum performance from Plaxx.
Associate Professor Farid Dailami, the lead researcher on the study, says, “This new fuel could have huge environmental benefits as an alternative to HFO (heavy fuel oil) currently used in marine diesel engines and industrial engines. Our research will compare the performance of this fuel with standard diesel fuel in order to gain data on how it performs and to ensure it won’t damage the engine or cause harmful emissions or gases. The aim is to demonstrate to producers and users of these engines that Plaxx can be a viable alternative to HFO.
“HFO is a fossil fuel which needs to be extracted and refined and therefore has environmental costs and consequences, whereas Plaxx is very low in sulphur and is made from a waste product which otherwise would have to go into landfill or be incinerated” Dailami continues. “Our research will seek to show if you put Plaxx into an engine it won’t harm the engine. In time Plaxx, as an alternative to HFO, has the potential to benefit local authorities and ultimately tax payers, by lowering the cost of waste management and turning plastic waste into a useable fuel.”
Adrian Griffiths, CEO of Recycling Technologies says, “This research will allow Recycling Technologies to characterize the use of Plaxx for use in diesel engines, thus opening up a global market for an important new innovative material to replace fossil fuels with a product derived from waste.”
